Love how this space is allowing you to explore all these different ideas. I can feel your enthusiasm. as for as handwriting, this once "voted-best-handwriting" in middle schooler has the worst, chicken scratch handwriting ever that I can't even read.
I have no examples of my childhood handwriting. All my old things got flooded in the basement of our old house 😣. I literally have nothing from my childhood.
Fellow handwriting note-taking enthusiast! I spend time writing slowly with lovely brush tip pens in my sketchbook every day— and translate the handwritten into my animated and digital work too(I love your direction with the blob gif!). I find that the deeper our culture goes into prefab fonts and vectors the more I’m drawn to un-“fixed”, sloppy chaotic character that comes from the hand— I’d love love love to chat all about this! (You can see a bunch of my digital/chaotic work laced throughout my newsletter here Image Word Mystery)
Yes! Yay! I also find myself drawn to things that are less manufactured, less "perfect", and more human. I think part of it is nostalgia and the other part is that everything around us feels lacking in soul.
I would love to see people's different handwriting styles again. My grandmother had the most beautiful, precise, slanted cursive style - it was unmistakable when I'd see notes or cards from her. And never in a million years will I get close to such lovely penmanship, myself.
For that section name, "Show and Tell" or "Show and Tell with <Famous Person>" instantly popped into my head. Maybe it's too simplistic or right on the nose, but maybe not. Looking forward to it either way
I saved some notes from both of my grandmothers because of this recognizable handwriting. Having the notes makes me feel somehow closer to them now that they are gone.
I dig Show and Tell but that might actually be better for something else I have been hoping to get around to launching... there are not enough hours in the day!
My mom made me practice handwriting in books after school because she wanted me to do it the "right way." I feel it led to a "you have to know the rules to break them" situation.
I love lettering and keep a bullet journal which is like the holy grail of anti-digital-ness.
I have a few different handwritings, and it really depends on the situation and the writing utensil (whiteboards will be the death of me, with their chisel tipped pens.
I've studied typography and calligraphy and I have favorite letter forms when I write.
double storey a's are so much fun, also gadzooks are a thing!
I’m a little obsessed with handwriting: how I used to know all of my friend’s handwriting so intimately, and now, not so much. I’m currently writing a little about it for my own post, about how joyful it is to see scraps of our loved ones’ writing. But also, my own writing, I have different handwriting fonts. One I call my Sunday Writing, which is more of actual drawing. I’m amazed at the subtle similarities in my siblings handwriting. And let’s not forget that older women (born in 1930s/40s have a very specific kind of penmanship).
Ooh this is such a fun idea! Sign me up if you need more volunteers ✍️☺️
I love anytime a book has handwritten elements for the characters' notes. And I love overanalyzing other people's penmanship - it can tell you so much about how old they might be and even what country they're from.
I also 100% know what you mean about not having a super consistent handwriting aesthetic like some people do. Now I'm wondering if that has something to do with being multipassionate? Like, is that a physical manifestation of how our curious brains and creative spirits can shapeshift so freely? 🤔 What do you think?
I’m not sure whether the writing is directly related to personality or whether it has to do with time or emotions. It’s probably different for every person. For example my dad always writes the same and it’s perfect every time. I don’t know if it’s because he grew up in a different time? But he’s definitely not a super creative person so maybe those of us who have a more free-flowing brain can kind of adapt in a way to any situation.
For sure. I know I tend to start with a more orderly, polite penmanship when starting fresh, but things get very scribbly and free-flowing as my ideas start pouring out. So, maybe a reflection of thought processes and what headspace we're in, too? I bet there's something to all of those theories.
I kinda wonder if it's been studied much? (Although I guess it'd be a low priority for today's researchers given that few of us remember how to pick up a pencil anymore haha)
Ha ha! Yeah, so true. I think our brains work faster than our hands and so I’m like you in that penmanship gets messier as I try to get all the ideas down.
I used to have a school notebook when I was around 10-11yo, where I listed some "rules" for myself to write in it in order to practice my hadwritting. I remember some:
Remark at least 2 times each letter.
I could only use blue ink, in a "yellow bic .2mm".
And, if I had to write fast something about the class, I had to write it on pencil to re-write it again in the proper manner....
Handwriting forever! It's just so damn intimate, isn't it? Not to get all misty eyed and morbid on here but finding old annotated photos is infinitely more valuable than any saved email. Proof that you were here, you cared, you physical thing. Pixels aint the same.
Oh yeah. Me here! Both with my current calligraphy kick (check out my Notes or Newsletter) but basically ever since high school when I got an internship as a hand draftsman at an architecture firm. Also my fist job out of college so I’ve got something even more anachronistic than cursive - with architectural hand lettering!
My notetaking handwriting is flingy messy cursive (often hard to decipher), but when I’m trying to emphasize my architect-ness I use a flowy version of architectural lettering (all caps). And yes, I’d love to participate in such an endeavor if you would want a volunteer.
I think there’s an interesting story here about the history of architectural hand lettering! Maybe you can point me in a direction to start that research?
Ohh that’s a good question. To be honest I don’t know where one might find a true history of Architectural lettering. For me I started with a drafting class and then had two different bosses who said these are good letters make it look like that.*
For my first internship I spent twelve hours one Saturday practicing my letters and got the foundation down. After that it was just regular practical experience.
The key difference in architectural lettering is that the HORIZONTALS ARE THICK**, which is opposite from almost all other typefaces I’ve seen. So my calligraphy practice has taken a bit of un-training match the exemplars (though I have subtly snuck it into my take of the “foundational hand” script).
--
* Proper architectural lettering requires using a straightedge for the verticals, which I did at my first firm. This was not required at the second place which sped things up and let me shine a bit more controlled style (mimicking my boss).
**I would slightly wear down a freshly sharpened pencil point on a nail file to get the difference between verticals and horizontal strokes. You can get a similarish effect by varying the angle of a flair pen to the paper.
I love handwriting, and I definitely experimented with mine in college. When one of my history professors asked who in the class was using cursive to take their notes, I was the only one who raised my hand. He wasn't surprised, but I was. I love seeing cursive like in museums in sections about famous people, and seeing their handwriting helps me connect to them in a way that nothing else quite does. When I was little, we had a book on Queen Elizabeth I, called Good Queen Bess, and one of the lines, that my mother repeated to me as an aspirational statement was "her handwriting was admired for its beauty."
Thank you for sharing your stories about handwriting. I have started reconnected with writing by hand when it makes sense, and it brings me such joy. My husband found a recipe I had copied from the internet last week and commented on my penmanship, which filled with me with more joy than it probably should have. It's the little things though, right?
Yes, the little things... the things that make us who we are, and how these little things make us feel. Thank you for sharing your stories, too! I love that it stuck with you about the handwriting of Elizabeth I ~ beautiful penmanship was probably such a big deal back then.
This is such a great idea! I love seeing other people's handwriting. One of my favorite book series as a kid was Amelia's journals, graphic novels that were a young girl's journal, filled with her writing and drawings. It was formative for me! I still write and draw in my journals to this day.
I was gifted a Kindle scribe for my birthday this year which has a super cool note taking feature. I considered writing posts by hand and sharing them on substack, too. It's such an interesting, intimate way to get to know someone.
I love this idea! And it would make a great zine once you have a collection of them.
My husband jokes that I have about 3 or 4 “fonts”. I pull out different handwriting styles for different needs and circumstances. I lament the dying art of handwriting 🙁.
Love how this space is allowing you to explore all these different ideas. I can feel your enthusiasm. as for as handwriting, this once "voted-best-handwriting" in middle schooler has the worst, chicken scratch handwriting ever that I can't even read.
No way! I would love to see an example of your handwriting back then compared to your handwriting now.
I have no examples of my childhood handwriting. All my old things got flooded in the basement of our old house 😣. I literally have nothing from my childhood.
😢 oh no I’m so sorry.
Fellow handwriting note-taking enthusiast! I spend time writing slowly with lovely brush tip pens in my sketchbook every day— and translate the handwritten into my animated and digital work too(I love your direction with the blob gif!). I find that the deeper our culture goes into prefab fonts and vectors the more I’m drawn to un-“fixed”, sloppy chaotic character that comes from the hand— I’d love love love to chat all about this! (You can see a bunch of my digital/chaotic work laced throughout my newsletter here Image Word Mystery)
Yes! Yay! I also find myself drawn to things that are less manufactured, less "perfect", and more human. I think part of it is nostalgia and the other part is that everything around us feels lacking in soul.
1000% ✍️🪄
I would love to see people's different handwriting styles again. My grandmother had the most beautiful, precise, slanted cursive style - it was unmistakable when I'd see notes or cards from her. And never in a million years will I get close to such lovely penmanship, myself.
For that section name, "Show and Tell" or "Show and Tell with <Famous Person>" instantly popped into my head. Maybe it's too simplistic or right on the nose, but maybe not. Looking forward to it either way
I saved some notes from both of my grandmothers because of this recognizable handwriting. Having the notes makes me feel somehow closer to them now that they are gone.
I dig Show and Tell but that might actually be better for something else I have been hoping to get around to launching... there are not enough hours in the day!
Same for saving those sorts of small mementos!
And please feel free to use my suggestion however you like, or not at all. 🙂
My mom made me practice handwriting in books after school because she wanted me to do it the "right way." I feel it led to a "you have to know the rules to break them" situation.
I love lettering and keep a bullet journal which is like the holy grail of anti-digital-ness.
I have a few different handwritings, and it really depends on the situation and the writing utensil (whiteboards will be the death of me, with their chisel tipped pens.
I've studied typography and calligraphy and I have favorite letter forms when I write.
double storey a's are so much fun, also gadzooks are a thing!
ahhh a chisel tip will always change the vibe for me, too!
I, too, love lettering. I've been on an illuminated manuscript kick these days... medieval weird drop caps and initials... the weirder the better!
Oooh fun!
I’m a little obsessed with handwriting: how I used to know all of my friend’s handwriting so intimately, and now, not so much. I’m currently writing a little about it for my own post, about how joyful it is to see scraps of our loved ones’ writing. But also, my own writing, I have different handwriting fonts. One I call my Sunday Writing, which is more of actual drawing. I’m amazed at the subtle similarities in my siblings handwriting. And let’s not forget that older women (born in 1930s/40s have a very specific kind of penmanship).
Oh man, I'm excited for this feature! I write postcards to friends in a quasi cursive and wonder if they can actually read my message
Ha! Well I hope you like it. The first one went up this past week and includes some fun drawings: https://blobzine.substack.com/p/scribble-sesh-with-joey-zeledon-elevating
I love writing by hand - I even write my first novel drafts by hand! Would be delighted to participate
Oh wow that’s so cool! I can’t imagine writing a novel by hand 🙀
Ooh this is such a fun idea! Sign me up if you need more volunteers ✍️☺️
I love anytime a book has handwritten elements for the characters' notes. And I love overanalyzing other people's penmanship - it can tell you so much about how old they might be and even what country they're from.
I also 100% know what you mean about not having a super consistent handwriting aesthetic like some people do. Now I'm wondering if that has something to do with being multipassionate? Like, is that a physical manifestation of how our curious brains and creative spirits can shapeshift so freely? 🤔 What do you think?
Overanalyzing is my middle name! 😆
I’m not sure whether the writing is directly related to personality or whether it has to do with time or emotions. It’s probably different for every person. For example my dad always writes the same and it’s perfect every time. I don’t know if it’s because he grew up in a different time? But he’s definitely not a super creative person so maybe those of us who have a more free-flowing brain can kind of adapt in a way to any situation.
For sure. I know I tend to start with a more orderly, polite penmanship when starting fresh, but things get very scribbly and free-flowing as my ideas start pouring out. So, maybe a reflection of thought processes and what headspace we're in, too? I bet there's something to all of those theories.
I kinda wonder if it's been studied much? (Although I guess it'd be a low priority for today's researchers given that few of us remember how to pick up a pencil anymore haha)
Ha ha! Yeah, so true. I think our brains work faster than our hands and so I’m like you in that penmanship gets messier as I try to get all the ideas down.
Glad I'm not the only one!!
OMGGGG This brought so many memories back!
I used to have a school notebook when I was around 10-11yo, where I listed some "rules" for myself to write in it in order to practice my hadwritting. I remember some:
Remark at least 2 times each letter.
I could only use blue ink, in a "yellow bic .2mm".
And, if I had to write fast something about the class, I had to write it on pencil to re-write it again in the proper manner....
I'm suddenly very sad I did not kept that.. ):
I know!! I got rid of so much I wish I’d kept! I also made these kinds of notebooks ☺️
Handwriting forever! It's just so damn intimate, isn't it? Not to get all misty eyed and morbid on here but finding old annotated photos is infinitely more valuable than any saved email. Proof that you were here, you cared, you physical thing. Pixels aint the same.
Yep, totally. I love perusing estate sale goods for handwritten notes, labeled photographs, old albums, etc.
Oh yeah. Me here! Both with my current calligraphy kick (check out my Notes or Newsletter) but basically ever since high school when I got an internship as a hand draftsman at an architecture firm. Also my fist job out of college so I’ve got something even more anachronistic than cursive - with architectural hand lettering!
My notetaking handwriting is flingy messy cursive (often hard to decipher), but when I’m trying to emphasize my architect-ness I use a flowy version of architectural lettering (all caps). And yes, I’d love to participate in such an endeavor if you would want a volunteer.
I think there’s an interesting story here about the history of architectural hand lettering! Maybe you can point me in a direction to start that research?
Ohh that’s a good question. To be honest I don’t know where one might find a true history of Architectural lettering. For me I started with a drafting class and then had two different bosses who said these are good letters make it look like that.*
For my first internship I spent twelve hours one Saturday practicing my letters and got the foundation down. After that it was just regular practical experience.
The key difference in architectural lettering is that the HORIZONTALS ARE THICK**, which is opposite from almost all other typefaces I’ve seen. So my calligraphy practice has taken a bit of un-training match the exemplars (though I have subtly snuck it into my take of the “foundational hand” script).
--
* Proper architectural lettering requires using a straightedge for the verticals, which I did at my first firm. This was not required at the second place which sped things up and let me shine a bit more controlled style (mimicking my boss).
**I would slightly wear down a freshly sharpened pencil point on a nail file to get the difference between verticals and horizontal strokes. You can get a similarish effect by varying the angle of a flair pen to the paper.
This is FASCINATING! I am going to do a deep dive and ask around. OK to contact you again - would you be interested in being interviewed?
Of course, on both fronts. Always happy to be of help!
I love handwriting, and I definitely experimented with mine in college. When one of my history professors asked who in the class was using cursive to take their notes, I was the only one who raised my hand. He wasn't surprised, but I was. I love seeing cursive like in museums in sections about famous people, and seeing their handwriting helps me connect to them in a way that nothing else quite does. When I was little, we had a book on Queen Elizabeth I, called Good Queen Bess, and one of the lines, that my mother repeated to me as an aspirational statement was "her handwriting was admired for its beauty."
Thank you for sharing your stories about handwriting. I have started reconnected with writing by hand when it makes sense, and it brings me such joy. My husband found a recipe I had copied from the internet last week and commented on my penmanship, which filled with me with more joy than it probably should have. It's the little things though, right?
Yes, the little things... the things that make us who we are, and how these little things make us feel. Thank you for sharing your stories, too! I love that it stuck with you about the handwriting of Elizabeth I ~ beautiful penmanship was probably such a big deal back then.
This is such a great idea! I love seeing other people's handwriting. One of my favorite book series as a kid was Amelia's journals, graphic novels that were a young girl's journal, filled with her writing and drawings. It was formative for me! I still write and draw in my journals to this day.
I was gifted a Kindle scribe for my birthday this year which has a super cool note taking feature. I considered writing posts by hand and sharing them on substack, too. It's such an interesting, intimate way to get to know someone.
I don't know Amelia's journals (that's my daughter's name!)... but they sound awesome.
I think writing posts by hand is something that a lot of people would love to see/read. You should try doing one!
Great idea! ✏️
“Drawn Out”?
“Scribbles & Nibbles”? (Sketching over a shared meal)
I wish it was a shared meal. That would be a great Youtube show. 🤔 if only I wanted to be on camera haha!
https://lisettemurphy.substack.com/
I love this idea! And it would make a great zine once you have a collection of them.
My husband jokes that I have about 3 or 4 “fonts”. I pull out different handwriting styles for different needs and circumstances. I lament the dying art of handwriting 🙁.
Haha yes - our fonts! I, too, have a few versions.